


A Moment In Time

by cassiopiea



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Drama & Romance, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:34:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26211241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassiopiea/pseuds/cassiopiea
Summary: Set five months after the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finale. Agents Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa are on a S.H.I.E.L.D. mission, when they find themselves stuck in the 1950's. This time Daisy is the one out of place as Daniel introduces her to the 50's and re-connects with some of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s legendary agents. Daisy grows closer to Daniel as she learns more about where he comes from.
Relationships: Peggy Carter & Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Skye | Daisy Johnson & Daniel Sousa, Skye | Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa
Comments: 28
Kudos: 251





	1. Into the Fifties

The sonic boom misses Daisy by inches as she feels two strong arms encircle her and push her out of the way of the blast. They crash behind a couple of crates in an abandoned airplane hangar.

“Are you okay?” She vaguely hears the words above her fast beating heart and the sounds of the sonic gun going off in the distance, let along focus on what’s happening.

She turns to her savior and relief floods through her system as her eyes come into contact with a pair of warm brown eyes.

“Sousa,” she grins at him for a second before another sonic boom hits the crate next to them.

“You’re late.” She tries to make her tone disapproving, but her lips can’t help but quirk up as she looks at him.

He grins back. “Sorry, got held up but looks like you’ve got a situation.”

It’s been about five months since the team defeated Malick and Sybil. Since then she’s thrown herself into work. Requesting one mission after the other. She glances at Daniel Sousa who shoots a couple of shots behind the crate. _And of course_ , she thinks idly, _he’s been there with her ever since then_.

—

She remembers the first time she saw him again after her final battle with Malick. The plank to the Zephyr had just opened and her eyes quickly zoned in on him running straight for her, worry creasing his brows and desperation in his eyes. She had never felt more relieved in her life to see him there alive.

She had been leaning on May for strength, but she let go, and was only able to make it a few steps before his arms wrapped around her, enveloping her in a tight embrace. She felt the tears build up behind her eyes and threaten to fall and she wound her arms tighter around him.

“Daisy, you’re okay,” he whispered in her ear over and over again. She couldn’t help herself as she pulled back and kissed him, pouring all her emotion into it, hoping he understood just how thankful she was that they made it.

—

A sonic boom whizzes past Sousa’s head and she snaps back into action. She pops up behind the crate and quakes nearby equipment shelves, hoping to block the thief’s escape route. It’s successful.

Their latest mission was to recover dozens of Stark technologies that were stolen from a S.H.I.E.L.D. convoy a week ago. S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn’t done a full inventory check yet, but Mack told her dangerous weapons were in the mix and she needed to be careful. Daisy and Daniel were able to track the theft down to an inhuman named Alec and to this hangar.

Daisy yells, “Please don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

She steps out from behind the crates, just as the thief turns and send a sonic boom straight toward her. She uses her vibrations to redirect the sound waves.

She begins to make her way slowly toward him, as she continues, “We don’t want to hurt you, we just need the devices.”

She sees the fear in his eyes, and she knows. She's been there before. “You don’t need to do this. We can help you –“

She’s barely able to redirect the waves again as his power hurtles at her. “Stop lying.” The thief is shaking now. From the corner of her eye, she sees Daniel move out from behind the crate closer to her.

“Alec, just talk to us…,” she pleads.

Alec just shakes his head vehemently. Then the next sequence of events happens so fast, she can’t keep up with it. Alec pulls a device out of his pocket and drop it on the floor. A blue light flashes.

Daisy barely has any time think as a portal opens, the energy blasting everything away. She grabs on to a nearby crate.

Alec instantly disappears in the vortex, briefcase with stolen tech in hand.

She braces herself as she feels the energy push her farther back. She feels a hand at her waist and turns behind her to see Sousa.

“I’ve got you.”

She shoots him a grateful smile, before returning her gaze to the portal. “We have to get those devices back.”

“Do we know what they do?,” she feels him say next to her ear.

“Not sure, but this can’t be good.”

She sees him nod next to her.

“If you dive, I dive,” he says. She nods, takes a breath then lifts her hand. She feels the quake pulse beneath her fingertips. Her other hand takes his as the quake leaves her. She uses the momentum to push them toward the portal.

—

Daisy blinks rapidly as she forces herself to move. Her body is aching and she has a massive headache, but she needs to get up and focus. Her eyes open and she realizes there’s a body beneath hers. She sits up quickly and winces as the headache gets stronger. She looks down and Daniel’s there, but he’s got some bruises, likely from taking the brunt of the fall.

She reaches out to him and strokes his face lightly, beckoning him awake. “Daniel,” she whispers his name. His eyes flutter after a few moments and she lets out a breath in relief. He’s groaning as he wakes up and scrunches his face. She has no idea where they are and if they’re in danger, but she can’t help the smile on her face as she watches the expressions flit across his face. She sees pain, then confusion, then realization as he finally looks at her. _He’s so cute,_ she thinks.

“Where are we?,” he groans, rubbing his face. For the first time she takes the time to look around. They are in an alley of some sort.

“Not sure.” She reaches out with her powers to see if there’s anything out of the ordinary. He stands up just as she finished her analysis. “I don’t sense anything different.”

She sees Daniel nod before extending a hand to her. She takes it and pulls herself up. But before he can move, she's placing her hands on either sides of his face to inspect the damage. She notes the bruise on his jaw and cuts along his ear.

“Hey, are you okay?,” she asks lightly as her hands move down. She hears him hiss as she lightly traces his ribs. _More bruises there_ , she thinks.

He grasps her hands in his, lifts them to his lips and presses a kiss to them. “I’m fine,” he offers a light smile. There’s a sparkle in his eye.

“I can take a few bruises, and still come back swinging. I’ve done it many times.” She nods and presses a kiss to his cheek. One thing she's learned, Daniel Sousa is one of the strongest people she’s ever met.

One side of his lips quirks up. “Let’s find out what’s outside this alley.”

He takes her hand and they cautiously walk around a corner. She hears the tell-tale signs of New York streets before she sees it, horns going off and voices getting louder and louder as they near the street.

As they get closer, Daisy knows something is off. She feels it. When they step out of the alley she finally knows why. There’s no yelling or profanity. No billboards with HD commercials. The car that honks in front of them is _old_ and the people that walk pass them with a curious glance are dressed in suits and dresses. It looks like something straight out of the 60's. 

She turns to Daniel and sees the same confusion on his face. She grabs the next person that walks by.

“What do you need doll?,” the endearment causing her to pause for a moment. _What?_

“Hello… sir. Do you know what year this is?,” she’s trying to sound as normal as she can, even though she’s pretty sure the panic is starting to set in.

He gives her a once over of her in her black S.H.I.E.L.D. suit, as if noticing it for the first time and makes a face. “It’s 1950 ma'am.”

He makes a face one more time, then walks hurriedly away.

She feels a hand squeeze hers and turns back to Daniel. His eyes are reassuring and she feels some of the panic subside, but it’s still there.

Then he’s pulling her, leading her down the sidewalk. “Come with me. I know where we can go.”

She simply follows him, trusting that he would be able to navigate in this time.


	2. Moving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy and Daniel find a safe spot in the fifties, and some old memories are uncovered. The idea of being in a new apartment also makes Daisy remember the day she asked Daniel Sousa to move in with her.

Daniel leads them down a few streets. Daisy forces her focus away from the questioning gazes and disgusted stares and focuses on his hand entwined with hers. She can guess why people were so secretive, just from the judging looks on the people they passed. She glances at the street names as they fly by, and the old buildings, much shorter than she’s used to seeing.

They keep walking until they’re in front of an old cobblestoned apartment complex building. Judging from the distance to where Central Park was, she’d say they were on the lower end of the Upper East Side.

As they enter the building, Daisy takes in the jazz music floating softly, the smell of cigarette smoke and light laughing from one of the rooms. _So this was the 1950’s_?

Daniel leads her up a flight of stairs and down a hall to an apartment at the corner. He lets go of her hand and drops down, inspecting the wall adjacent to the door. She watches with fascination as he jiggles a loose panel and takes out a small object.

He holds it up for her. “Spare key.” He turns to unlock the door. “I used to have dozens made because I’d always lose them in one mission or another in the S.S.R…”

The door opens and he leads her inside.

“This is where I stayed while I was at the New York office.”

Daisy takes in the wooden walls, curtained windows and the sparse furniture as she walks in. The entrance leads to a large living room area with a small kitchen to the right and a doorway in the back, she suspects is the bedroom. Everything is tidy and in good condition. Daisy walks into the living room, tracing her fingers on the tables, feeling the light dust collect at her fingers.

“This is one of the S.S.R. safe houses for agents. Of course, by the fifties I’d packed up and moved to L.A., but I still kept this around, just in case I needed to be called back to New York.”

Daisy looks around at the tiny details that define Daniel’s time at the S.S.R. A lone frame above the fireplace captures her attention and she picks it up carefully. She sees a much younger Daniel smiling up at her with an older man and woman behind him and a young boy beside him. From this picture, he didn’t look much older than 18, she guessed.

She feels him walk behind her and turns to look at him. His head is close to hers, but he looks contemplative, lost in the picture.

He takes a breath. “That’s my ma, pa and my little brother Damien.”

She realizes the resemblance now. He’s got his mother’s eyes and ears, and his father’s nose, strong jawline and hair. She wonders idly where his dimples came from and if any of his children might inherit the cute trait. She catches herself there, not wanting to delve deeper into that thought or how excited it made her feel to imagine it.

She shakes her head slightly and instead asks, “What happened to them?”

She feels his arms snake around her waist and his head lean down to rest on her shoulder from behind. She leans into his embrace as he starts talking.

“My ma was what you’d consider old fashioned by Twenty-First Century standards.” Daisy smiled a little at this. “Stayed at home, took care of us kids. She used to bake the best chocolate chip cookies and apple pies. And my brother, he was the smartest boy in school. He could have been a great scientist.”

He pauses. Daisy grasps his hand at her waist and gives it a squeeze of encouragement. “My pa… he was a World War One vet. Always instilled in us a sense of patriotism.” She turns her head slightly to look at him. His forehead is creased, and his eyes are dark and tumultuous. She can tell it’s a difficult topic.

She strokes his arm lightly. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if it’s too hard…,” she whispers.

He merely shakes his head against her shoulder. “It’s okay, I want you to know. When I enlisted, he was so proud. He’d talk the ear off anyone who’d listen about me.” She feels his arms tighten around her. “But after I was honorably discharged from Bastogne, he wouldn’t talk to me or acknowledge me… Refused to even look at me.” Daisy places the photograph carefully back on the mantle and turns in his arms. She places one arm around his back, and the other around his neck, her hands rubbing soothing circles.

He shoots her a wry smile, tinged with bitterness. “Couldn’t accept that his eldest son came back from the war broken, a cripple. Practically kicked me out of the house and forbade me from coming back. My ma and Damien didn’t know what to do, but they stood with him.” She sees his eyes gloss over. “I haven’t seen them since, but I always had a photo of them with me.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, as she looks at him. Her hand is on his cheek now, “It’s not fair what he did to you.” His forehead drops to hers.

“You are a hero in every sense of the word. Others would have quit after what you’d been through Bastogne, but you never stopped fighting.” The words keep coming and she doesn’t think to stop them. “You’ve saved so many people since then with the S.S.R. and S.H.I.E.L.D., including me.”

He kisses her then, surprising her. It’s a slow kiss and it’s over too soon, but Daisy hugs him tighter as they hold on to each other. They have a lot to figure out, but for now, all that matters to Daisy in this moment is Daniel.

\---

“I don’t know if we should be doing this,” Daniel says behind a huge box. Daisy rolls her eyes. They’ve been through this before.

“I know we’re going steady, but in my time…” he drops the box with a heave in the living room. “… couples don’t move in together until they’re married.”

“No wonder divorce rates were so high in the fifties,” Daisy teases. She saddles up to him and gives him a kiss. “And this isn’t the fifties, this is the Twenty-First Century where it’s totally normal for couples to move in together.”

She caresses a spot on behind his ear and bites her lip, trying not to laugh as Daniel groans. “Finding out weird quirks about each other and what annoys each other is necessary… so that when you finally decide to spend your life with someone, you know they’re the one.” Her eyes lift to meet his and she’s briefly taken back by the intensity she sees there.

They had been dating, or as Daniel keeps saying _going steady_ , for three months now. After the battle, Mack set him up with a transition apartment to help him get used to the 2000’s and she returned to her S.H.I.E.L.D apartment in New York. Kora stayed with her for about a month and they had some sister-bonding time, as Kora would call it, but it didn't take long before she had moved into a dorm at Coulson Academy for agent training.

Daniel would call, never text because he said he loved hearing the sound of her voice, and invite her out to dates. They would go to the movies, at restaurants and on occasion, she could even convince him to have a date night at the club when she felt like dancing. She would always find some excuse or another to get him alone so that she could kiss and touch him without prying eyes, but she’d always miss him after he would drop her off at her apartment.

One particular night after the movies, she had just about had it with seeing him leave, so she asked him to move in with her. It had taken quite a bit of convincing on her part and they spent the entire night talking it through, but when he finally agreed, she didn’t think she would ever stop smiling.

She breaks herself out of her reverie as her eyes shift to his box of items. “Besides, I don’t think it’ll be too hard living with me Danny Boy, unless you’ve got some dark hidden secrets.” She grins conspiratorially.

He sighs and bends down to open the box, and she can’t help but laugh as he pulls out one blue button down shirt after another.

“What?,” he asks with genuine confusion and it brings another round of laughter.

“Nothing, just, I need to bring you shopping,” she says as she places the blue shirt he’s holding back in the box. She wraps her arms around him and is satisfied when he does the same with her. “And I’m glad you’re here, moving in with me.”

He leans down to kiss her. “Me too,” he whispers.

After a moment, she moves her hands down to his chest and pushes him down on the couch. She follows him down, placing a leg on either side of him. She watches the confusion flit on his face and bites down the urge to laugh as she says, “Moving in together also means we can do whatever we want, and right now, I have an urge to kiss you.”

She feels giddy as Daniel wraps his arms around her and laughs. “I think I like the sound of that.”

\---

“Do you think Alec ended up in the same timeline as us?,” Daisy asks looking out as the sun set from one of the windows. She had changed out of her uniform and had opted to wear one of Daniel’s white shirts left in his closet.

He had thankfully left some canned foods in his old apartment for emergencies, so she had set herself up on the couch and was currently eating some soup while brainstorming ideas.

She hears Daniel sigh in his armchair across from her. “I’m not sure.” He had nabbed a neighbor’s newspaper and was looking through it for any clues. They had found a date, _January 2, 1950_ , so at least that was a start.

Daisy flips through her saved e-mails on her cell phone, “Mack said some of the tech gave off gamma ray signals. Maybe there’s a way to track those signals down?”

Daniel looks up, “Howard Stark might have a way to track that. He was always coming up with the darndest gadgets.”

Daisy smiles slightly at his vocabulary. Daniel continues, “But I don’t know how to get a hold of him. He’s always been elusive. The only person I know who was ever able to track him down was Peggy.”

Daisy’s head shot up at that. “Peggy Carter? Is she here in New York?”

Daniel is up out of his chair and begins pacing. Ever since Fitz fit him with the best new prosthetic, Daniel took every chance he could to use it.

“She should be. We broke up in ’47 and she returned to the New York office.” Daisy glances down at her soup, she forgot sometimes that he once dated one of the greatest S.H.I.E.L.D. agents of all time.

He talks excitedly, “We can find her and she might be able to help us find Stark and then we can solve the mystery and watch the curtain fall.”

Usually his old slang could brighten her mood, but she suddenly feels anxious at the thought of having to meet his ex-girlfriend and Jemma’s idol.

She asks tentatively, “So where should we start?”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peggy Carter is coming! I hope you guys enjoy are enjoying the ride. I'm hoping to do at least one flashback a chapter with a little insight into Dousy's relationship so far up to this point.


	3. Energy Explosion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Daniel and Daisy prepare to head to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, an explosion rocks New York City center. Dozens of agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. history go to investigate.

Daisy sighs as she places the final pin in her hair. That will have to do. Her hair is finally finished. She opted for re-creating the same fifties hair style she met Daniel with, if only for the nostalgia. And maybe because Daniel had remarked once or twice before they she had looked _incredibly_ _beautiful_ the first time he saw her at his desk at Area 51.

She smooths down her green dress and gives herself a once over in the mirror. _Not bad_. She could get used to fifties fashion. Daniel had gone out in the morning to buy her some dresses to fit the era, since he could wear his old clothes and go out without drawing attention.

A knot twists in her stomach as she looks at her outfit again. _But is it good enough?_ She’s never met one of her boyfriend’s exes before, and she isn’t quite sure what she’s feeling, but she wants to make a good impression. She knows how highly Daniel thinks of Peggy, and _yeah there might be a bit of jealousy in there too_ , she thinks.

She anxiously steps outside the bedroom and sees Daniel, sitting on the armchair already dressed and fiddling with his half-made brown tie. He looks up as she walks in. A huge smile breaks out on his face and her uneasiness goes away a little.

“Wow, you look beautiful,” he says as he stands up. She can’t help her smile as he makes his way toward her and reaches out to hold her in his arms. She feels the knots in her stomach disappear in his embrace. He bends his head down for a quick kiss, which instantly brightens her mood. He groans as he pulls away. “I’m going to have to fight those bastards to keep them away from you, especially Thompson.”

She quirks her eyebrow. “Who’s Thompson?” Her hands drop to his tie, trying to fix it, as she undoes it and begins to re-tie it.

“Well he’s a… you-know-what.” Daisy laughs lightly at the term. “But he’s saved me a few times.” Daisy silently works on his tie as she listens. “We worked in the New York S.S.R. together and when Chief Dooley died, he took over. Then when S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded, he transitioned over.”

She secures the tie, satisfied with how it looks. “And you’ll have to keep me away because?”

“He’s an infamous skirt chaser,” he says simply and Daisy laughs. “And not just him, there’s a couple guys there that… let’s just say having a wife and a girlfriend was a regular day at the office.”

“Oh,” Daisy says wordlessly making a face. Then she lifts her eyes questioningly, “Were you ever like that?”

She watches him contemplate this a second before he nods, “Back in my ragtag college years before I enlisted, I had fun, but as you can guess after the war, not so much.” He gives a sad smile and looks away. “Most gals never wanted to date someone with only one leg. On blind dates, they’d see me waddle into the restaurant and would make one excuse or another to leave.”

She moves to caress his cheek lightly. “It’s their loss. You’re a pretty great guy,” she whispers. “And you definitely didn’t waddle,” she’s smirking now. “I think the cane was actually kind of sexy.”

He starts laughing, and she feels good seeing the light return to his eyes. As his laugh tapers off, he asks, “What about you? If you had been from this time, and not some crazy time traveling mission, would you have given me a chance?”

She thought about it seriously. She couldn’t imagine growing up in the early 1900’s. Would she still feel the same growing up in a society where women were thought inferior to men and where any other color besides white wasn’t accepted? What about a world where she had never met Coulson or May or Fitz and Simmons?

“I don’t know, but you’re…” she searches for the word. “ _Good_. And there isn’t a lot of that in the world.” She focuses on his tie once again, smoothing it down over and over. “I’d like to think no matter the time, I’d be drawn to you.”

She sees Daniel smile at her, dimples and everything. Daniel grabs her hands before she can smooth his tie down for the fifth time and holds them in his. He glances down nervously. “Daisy there’s something I ---"

He’s interrupted by a large boom. Daisy can barely comprehend what’s happening before she feels Sousa’s arms around her pulling her down as the windows shatter with force.

\---

About a dozen sirens are going off and the streets are in a gridlock with cars. People are running on the sidewalks, and if they aren’t running, they’re frozen with shock. In the roadway men and are yelling about their cars and some women are yelling about their ruined clothes or hair. A couple of children are screaming or crying in their mother’s arms. Some people are peeking out of their destroyed windows to see the damage below.

Daisy is struck by the chaos as she and Daniel make their way down the street. Toward the S.H.I.E.L.D. office. Daniel is leading the way, moving in and out of side streets and weaving past people. Daisy tries not to snap at a teen who bumps into her as he runs away from the epicenter. Tensions are running high and she’s feeling on edge.

Suddenly Daniel stops and Daisy moves beside him to get a better look.

It looks like doomsday with cars and cabs covered in rubble. Some people are on side being treated for wounds. Past the rubble, there’s a small crater in the center of Time’s Square. The area’s been corded off with caution tape, and men in suits are swarming around the area taking pictures and interviewing witnesses.

Out of all the suits, her eyes are drawn to a single woman with brown hair. She’s wearing a blue blouse with trousers, barking out orders on the outer edge of the crater, a commanding presence about her.

Daniel follows Daisy’s gaze to the female agent. He stares at her for a moment, lost in thought, then looks back to Daisy, “I’ll check with the agents to see what they know.”

“And I’ll check if our time-traveling friend was involved,” she says wryly.

Daniel nods at her then heads in the direction of the brunette agent, moving past the caution tape. Daisy ignores the way her heart constricts as she sees him go and moves to focus on the situation on hand.

Her eyes scan the area and among the rubble, she sees it. A single silver suitcase. The agents bustling around ignore it, probably thinking some suit dropped it running away. But she knows better, especially as she sees the tiny T.S. initials on the side. _Tony Stark_.

She moves past the tape and toward the case, but an agent stops her. “This is S.H.I.E.L.D. business ma’am. For your safety, I’m going to have to ask you to move back behind the tape.”

Her eyes sharpen at him. “I’m with S.H.I.E.L.D.”

The agent chuckles at her, “Sure ma’am.”

“Aren’t you going to ask for my credentials?” she asks as she looks around for a distraction.

"Look there's only one female agent around here--"

She sees an agent fumbling in the corner, trying to move some debris, and lifts her hand subtlety. She lets out a small quake, causing the debris he’s handling to explode in a puff of smoke. The agent in front of her turns to the nuisance and starts yelling at the agent.

“Agent, careful with that! That could be evidence –”

Daisy slips behind him. She examines the ground surrounding the crater. There are dark scar marks, as if something exploded. She suspects the energy that caused this came from one of the gadgets in that case.

She lowers down and opens the briefcase.

“Sousa, you’re back,” she hears a cocky voice behind her. She turns to see a blonde man yelling down the line and sees Daniel appear behind a broken taxicab covered in rubble. He walks over to the blonde, she notes, with a slight limp to his step.

Daisy turns her attention back to the case, inspecting it, while tuning in to the conversation behind her.

“What brings you all the way back here from the sunny side of the states? Bored already?” she hears the blonde say.

“Thompson, good to see you too.” Daniel says it in a tone that says the opposite.

She examines the empty slots where the technology should be. _All gone._ It’s then that she notices a small tab on the corner.

“Don’t tell me you’re back to woo Carter.” Her ears perk up at that, but she’s focused as her fingers pinch the tab and slides it out. _Looks like Alec missed one_.

“No, that’s not it.”

“You sure? Because I’ve seen you with the ladies,” she vaguely hears a click of his tongue. “And let’s be honest she’s probably as good as you’re gonna get—"

She’s quick to slide the tab back, close the suitcase and get up. She makes her way over to Daniel and holds it out to him. “Agent Sousa, you forgot your suitcase.”

She watches him give her a confused look before nodding and grabbing it in his right hand.

“And who might you be?.” She turns and finally gets a good look at the so-called Thompson. He’s tall, taller than Daniel, with thick blonde hair, baby blue eyes and a good face structure. She thinks he could look handsome, _if he wasn’t smirking at her like a douchebag_.

She lifts her hand out for a shake. “Agent Daisy Johnson, from the L.A. office.”

Thompson’s smirk grows wider as he takes her hand and lifts it to his lips. She feels Daniel stiffen beside her as Thompson places a kiss on her hand. “Agent Jack Thompson, from the New York office.”

Thompson gives her a once over, checking her out from head to toe, but when he talks again he addresses Daniel.

“You never told me there were beautiful women like this in L.A.” Daisy has to try really, _really_ hard not to roll her eyes. She glances at Daniel and notes his rigid stance and his left hand flexing in and out of a fist. He’s glaring daggers at the blonde.

 _If looks could kill, Thompson would probably be a goner_.

She looks back to Thompson as he starts speaking again. “I can show you around New York if you like? I’m the best guide around… besides Sousa’s not very good with directions or talking to ladies,” Thompson glances at Daniel’s leg. “And he’ll probably hold you up.”

From the corner of her eye, she sees Daniel open his mouth angrily and slightly raise his left arm. She takes her chance to slide her palm around his arm and link it with hers.

“I’m sure Agent Sousa will be fine showing me around,” she turns and gives a wide smile to Daniel, who’s loosened up a bit under her touch. She places her other hand on his arm and Daniel turns to her. She catches his eye. “Besides who best to show you a new city than the person _you’re going steady with_?” She places a kiss on Daniel’s cheek for extra emphasis.

When she turns back to Thompson, she has to bite her lip hard to stop herself from laughing at his face. All suave gone, his eyes look shocked and his mouth is slightly agape as he looks between them.

“You- you two?”

She shares a glance with Daniel, who finally tilts his mouth up in a lopsided smile.

Agent Thompson seems to finally compose himself after a few moments. He shakes his head, smiling in awe slightly. “Looks like you’ve been busy in L.A., Sousa.”

The moment is gone when she hears a female voice in a British accent behind them. “Ah, there you are."

Daisy freezes and takes a deep breath before turning to meet the voice, finally coming face to face with the legendary Agent Peggy Carter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay there wasn't much Agent Carter in here, but she'll be coming up. I also really loved Agent Thompson in the Agent Carter TV Series and was super excited to bring him in to add a bit of a rivalry with Sousa. It's always fun to get to play with a bit of a jealous Sousa. 
> 
> This took me a bit longer because I wrote in a fluffy Dousy scene in the beginning, but then I had to delete it to cut straight to the action. We've gotta get this story moving!


	4. Sting of Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another mystery unfolds as Daisy and Daniel uncover what Alec has been up to in the 1950's. Daisy gets to see Peggy and Daniel work together for the first time and can't help but feel left out.

Peggy Carter isn’t exactly what Daisy imagined. Yes, she had the classic British accent and strong posture that showed she was as confident as the next S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. _But_ , Daisy thought with a sinking feeling, _it was more than that_. Peggy exuded elegance and through her tough exterior, she could see an effortless kindness there. It didn’t help that Peggy was also really pretty, shiny brown hair, warm brown eyes like Daniel’s and a gentle smile – which was currently directed at him. Daisy feels her heart sink.

“Daniel, it’s good to see you.” Peggy’s smile widens a bit. “How have you been?”

Daisy forces herself not to give into the urge to look at Daniel, too afraid of what she might see. From what she’s gathered from his files and from what he’s told her, he and Peggy had a connection and friendship that ran deep.

“I’ve been good Peg,” he pauses for a moment. “It’s good to see you too.”

Daisy looks at anything but the two of them, her gaze bouncing around from agents to objects, anything else to focus on. She didn’t think meeting her boyfriend’s ex would feel like this. She didn’t think it would be this _hard_.

She hears the instant Peggy’s voice switches back to business. Daisy switches her focus back to her. “While I’m glad to see you, what are you doing back in New York?”

Daniel hesitates, but only for a moment before the lie comes quick. “We’re chasing down a man with some dangerous gadgets. He’s been hopping around the continent and we have reason to believe he may have come here.”

Daisy speaks up, “His name is Alec Dixon. He – may be using a device to create soundwaves…” She decides to play it safe and leave out the part about his powers. _Were inhumans even discovered at this time?_

Peggy turns to her, noticing her for the first time. “Yes, a Mr. Alec Dixon.” Peggy’s eyes are on her, and she meets them confidently. She sees confusion swirl in them briefly before it’s gone. “He showed up out of nowhere about three months back. Started wreaking havoc at a couple of smaller S.H.I.E.L.D. outlier bases.”

She nods briefly before offering Daisy a light smile, reaching a hand out to her. “I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Agent Peggy Carter, Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s east coast division.”

Daisy takes her hand and shakes it with as much confidence as she can muster. “Agent Daisy Johnson, from the west coast office.”

Peggy raises an eyebrow, turning briefly to Daniel. “You didn’t tell me the west coast office hired another female agent.”

Daisy turns to see Daniel glance at her quickly before looking down and answering sheepishly, “She’s a new hire.”

Peggy nods again, a grin making its way to her face as she’s turning back to Daisy. “What’s your expertise?”

Daisy’s answer is automatic, out of habit. “Hacking.”

“Codebreaking,” Daniel says at the same time.

Peggy’s eyebrows ruffle a little in confusion, but she’s still grinning as she asks, “Hacking? I’m not familiar with that.”

Daisy’s panicked gaze meets Daniel’s for a moment. He looks at as much at a lost as her.

“We call it hacking in the… west, but it’s codebreaking.”

If Peggy is suspicious, it doesn’t show. Instead she directs a warm smile at Daisy. “I also joined S.H.I.E.L.D as a codebreaker.” She turns to whisper conspiratorially. “And it’s always good to have another female agent around to keep these men on their toes. Lord knows they need they could learn a thing or two.”

Daisy finds herself laughing.

Peggy laughs with her for a moment before taking in the scene around her. “Looks like things are wrapping up here. Let’s discuss this further in my office.” She turns and starts walking away.

Daisy lets out a small exhale of relief. She decides to turn to Daniel and take in his reaction for the first time. She finds he’s looking solely at her. His eyes hold a question in them, but they’re soft and reassuring, a light grin on his face. She matches his grin briefly.

She feels Daniel place a light guiding hand on the small of her back as she moves to follow Peggy.

\---

Peggy drops seven photographs on the desk in front of Daisy and Daniel.

“We’ve been trying to track him for the past few weeks, this Alec Dixon,” she says.

Daisy leans in to get a closer look at the pictures. Each shows him walking away from some type of rubble.

“These are the bases he’s broken into. Every base he was able to infiltrate has been blown up with some type of explosive. We were able to grab photos as he was leaving a few of them.”

Daisy spots one with a broken figure lying buried beneath rocks. Her hands clench at her side. _Alec has been up to more than just destruction_.

Peggy notices her hard stare at the photo. She nods solemnly.

“While we’ve been able to track most of the attacks, but some agents weren’t as lucky.”

“Has he taken anything?,” Daisy hears Daniel ask.

“Not that we know of. He just goes in, causes a destruction then leaves. We can’t seem to figure out his pattern,” she shakes her head. “It used to be a few small bases, but this attack on Time’s Square… I just don’t understand it.”

There must be something. Daisy examines the photos again. Everything looks similar. Alec’s leaving the scene, but the Stark briefcase isn’t in his hand. His hands are always empty.

Then she spots it. In one of the photos his fist is clenched around a circular device.

“What’s this?,” Daisy asks pointing to the photo of him leaving the ruins of a base near a shore city.

Peggy gasps. “Daniel, do you see it?,” Peggy asks.

Daniel moves to Peggy’s side behind the desk and picks up the photo. He nods after a second. “That’s part of one of the devices we recovered from the Isodyne Energy Lab.”

“But it won’t work without –“

“The configuration module,” Peggy and Daniel say at the same time.

Daisy tries to ignore the slight pang of seeing them work so well together.

“And what does that mean?” Daisy asks with an edge of annoyance. She sees Daniel shoot her a concerned look. But she chooses to ignore it and looks away. He’s one of the most perceptive people she’s ever met, but he can be a little too perceptive, _especially when she doesn’t want him to be_.

Peggy takes the photo from Daniel’s hand. “It means he must be looking for it. The device won’t work unless both parts are together.”

Daisy looks down at the other photos, avoiding Daniel’s eyes. “What does it do?”

She sees him move around the desk back to her side, his voice floating to her. “It causes an EMP that could knock out the power of an entire City.”

She turns and focuses on Peggy. “And where is this other part of the device now?”

A worried look overtakes Peggy’s face and she shares a look with Daniel. Daniel’s forehead begins to wrinkle, and Daisy realizes it.

“He’s still here.”

She bolts out of the office in record speed, sending out small vibrations to track ground movements of the agents around her.

“Daisy!” She hears Daniel call out behind her. She ignores him, knowing he’ll most likely follow anyway.

It takes her a few minutes as she’s running down the stairs to find it. She hurriedly takes off her heels and sprints down the steps.

There’s one person that’s vibrating a bit abnormally, sending off more vibrations than any normal human would, about ten levels below her. _The basement_.

The door is locked when she gets there. She blasts it open, one thought dominating all others, to get this over with and _go home_.

She sees agents littered on the floor leading deeper into the basement, immobile, but still alive. She makes a note to call a medic for help later.

She finally sees Alec’s silhouette, holding a crescent-shaped item. His back is turned away from her, and she takes the chance to catch him off guard. She sends a quake toward his back, hurtling him through the air. The crescent item clatters on the ground.

She takes the chance to run toward the device to grab it. An off-aim sonic boom zips a few inches away from her body. But she’s able to dodge it and grab the device.

Just as she gets up, a sonic boom hurtles toward her. She fans out a shield and starts to run back. She blocks a few more booms but isn’t able to catch one. Pain spreads from the middle of her back through her entire body. She loses balance and loses her grip on the item.

Alec is a few paces behind her. She reaches out to get the device. It's within inches of her grasp when Alec sends out another boom, but before she can feel the impact, arms are pulling her away, behind steel shelves. Déjà vu hits her. 

Daniel’s face slowly comes into focus. His eyes are scanning over her quickly for injuries. He’s aiming a gun behind her. A few shots are released, but all she can hear is ringing. She takes a few moments to regain her composure before she gets up and rounds the corner to face Alec again. But the room is empty, except for a hole blasted through the north side of the wall. Daisy searches for the device on the floor. It too is _gone_. She runs toward the destroyed wall, seeing nothing but an empty street ahead of her.

“Where is he?” Peggy’s voice is behind her. She turns to see Agent Carter and a group of other agents move through the door she blasted earlier.

"Gone," Daisy says dejectedly.

"The device?"

Daisy shakes her head. Peggy scowls for a moment at the empty street beyond the destroyed wall before directing the agents to search the area.

Daniel moves in front of her. “Daisy,” Daniel’s fingers are gentle as they scour her face and along her arms.

“I’m fine. I promise.” She gives him a light smile.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Peggy approach them and stop. Peggy’s head is tilted examining the two in front of her, no doubt taking in their close behavior. Daisy is vaguely aware of Peggy’s intense stare and finally turns toward her. Daniel does the same, gently letting her arms go.

Peggy speaks up, “You two should get some rest. We’ll discuss this tomorrow,” she nods to an agent nearby. “Agent Dawson will drive you wherever you need to go.”

Daisy nods at Peggy, a wave of exhaustion coming over her. Daisy begins following the agent out of the room barefoot, Daniel on her heels.

\---

Daisy’s heart is beating a mile a minute as Daniel opens the door to his apartment. She walks in and turns back toward him. He's locking the door and placing the Stark briefcase in a corner. The adrenaline is still singing in her veins and she starts moving before she can stop herself. She throws her arms around his neck, capturing his lips in a desperate kiss just as he turns around. 

She feels him respond after a moment, his kiss matching her ferocity. She traces his lips lightly with her tongue, silently asking for permission. He grants it, and she melts. Her tongue entwines with his in a dance, as she feels his hands snake around her waist.

She reluctantly pulls away for air, but only allows a quick intake before she’s placing quick kisses down his jaw and down his neck. She hears his sharp intake of breath as she kisses his pulse point. Deciding she wants to hear him make that sound again, she lavishes it with attention.

She feels his arms tighten around her and grins as his head leans back against the door, giving her more access. Her hands are hasty as she moves them from around his neck down to unbutton his shirt.

“Daisy,” he groans. She’s on the second button when his hands leave her waist to stop her. She doesn’t let up, her tongue tracing down his collar bone. She just wants to feel him. She wants to sink into him and forget about everything. _Peggy. Alec. The stark briefcase. The devices. The agents on the ground. Everything_. Everything except the two of them.

She shakes her head, as one of her hands escape his grip to pull his head back down to hers. She captures his lips again, pouring in her frustration and desire. But the kiss ends too soon.

“Daisy.” It’s so quiet, almost a whisper. “We can’t.” Reality hits her within a second.

She releases him and steps back. She takes shallow breaths as she takes in his disheveled appearance in front of her. His hair is thoroughly tousled. There are traces of her lipstick on a corner of his lips and down his neck. His eyes are glazed over. His chest is heaving, the sliver of his unbuttoned shirt revealing his toned chest beneath.

_Nothing seems to faze you._

_It all fazes me, just not my face._

_He absolutely looks fazed this time_ , she thinks idly, and _irresistible_. She bites her lip and looks away.

“I’m sorry, I know you want to wait.”

“Daisy, what’s wrong?” In three large steps he’s in front of her. His hand moves under her chin, lifting her face slightly.

She closes her eyes, hating how concerned he sounds. He’s so _sweet_ and she just feels so _selfish_.

“Why did you pull me away from Alec’s attack? I almost had the device!” It sounds harsher then she intends it.

She looks up to see his eyes soften. “I couldn’t let him hurt you.” He takes her hand in his, and slowly brings it up to his lips to press a soft kiss. “But that’s not it, is it?”

Daisy sighs in frustration. “Just everything with Alec… Seeing you with… Meeting Peggy…” she stops, not knowing how to continue. She hates how _jealous_ she sounds.

She sees understanding cross his face, before he’s shaking his head. “You don’t have anything to worry about.” He places another kiss on her palm. She allows his touch to calm her, her eyes closing briefly.

"I know.” Deep down she knows she does, but there’s that nagging voice in the back of her mind reminding her that _she’s not good enough_ and everything she touches falls apart. “I know but I’m -"

“But nothing.” His hands automatically move to her waist. Unable to resist touching him with him so close, her hands fall on his chest, tracing little patterns.

He sighs as he looks up to the ceiling as if it held the answer. His brow ruffles a bit, clearly deep in thought. “What I feel for you is… different.” She lifts an eyebrow.

He sees the look and hastily tries to clarify. “No, just Peggy and I… we knew we weren’t the ones for each other,” he’s speaking slowly, trying to find the right words. “And I think we both knew it. She was still always in love with someone else, and I realized quickly in our relationship that work was the top priority for both of us.”

“I was the director of the Los Angeles office and she was the deputy director of the entirety of S.H.I.E.L.D. We both wanted to save the world and our relationship rarely came before the mission.”

Her fingers halt on his chest. “But how is that different-”

“It’s different because this time,” his grip tightens on her waist and he drops his forehead to hers. “You’re my priority.”

Daisy feels her chest constrict and the air whoosh from her lungs.

“I mean you and me, we’re –“ She doesn’t let him finish. She leans up and captures his lips in a deep kiss.

When they part, she whispers against his lips, “Yeah, I get it. I just… I’ve never had this.” She catches his eye trying to convey her message. “I’m scared something’s gonna ruin it...” She sees him open his mouth to respond, but places a finger against his lips. “I feel selfish with you.”

His eye sparkles and a boyish grin lights up his face. “I’m selfish when it comes to you too.” His fingers caress her waist lightly. “Which is why I’ll pull you away from any attack that might hurt you… be it from Alec or anyone, no matter the circumstance." He whispers, "You’re more important than the mission.”

She sees a mix of emotions swirl behind his eyes. Worry. Care. Desire. Happiness. _Love_. It’s all there, but she isn’t sure if she’s ready to hear it yet. So she puts it to the back of her mind and pulls him into another kiss. She silently agrees to forgive him, because she thinks she'd have done the same thing in that situation. _He's more important too_. But she doesn't think she can say that out loud yet either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two weeks later... I'm sorry it took me so long to update this. Though, this was probably my longest chapter yet. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the storyline moving and how to develop Dousy. I have all these ideas, I just have to string them together in a way that makes sense. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm hoping my updates will be a little bit faster.


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